Update: Multi-agency search for missing Marine

March 11, 2019 – This is the sixth day of an intense multiagency search for missing Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant Matthew Kraft, a 24 year old man from Washington, Connecticut. 1st Lt. Kraft is 6’1” and 185 pounds.

1st Lt. Kraft’s planned itinerary is the 195-mile Sierra High Route; he is believed to have hiked out of Kearsarge Pass on Feb 24 with a plan of concluding his hike near the Twin Lakes area by Bridgeport, CA on March 4 or 5. Kraft commissioned as a Marine Corps officer on May 6, 2016. He graduated from some of the Marine Corps’ most rigorous training including Infantry Officer Course and Winter Mountain Leaders Course.

On March 4, 1st Lt. Kraft’s father contacted Mono Sheriff after not hearing from his son. Mono County Sheriff’s Office began checking trail heads in the Bridgeport area that day. Cell phone forensics initiated by Mono Sheriff showed that his last phone activity was in the Independence area. Inyo County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue began a search on March 5. The evening of March 8, 1st Lt. Kraft’s vehicle was located at the Grays Meadows campground above Independence, CA.

Both aerial and ground search operations have been utilized; however, weather conditions in the Sierra have been a significant challenge. Additionally, both ground teams and aerial support have noted avalanche activity throughout the wilderness, including along the Sierra High Route.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Incident Commander Dave Fox added “We know the public is very interested in helping with the ground search effort, but due to the extreme hazards in the search area, we are not requesting any outside units at this time.”

Today the search plan includes air lifting two Inyo County Search and Rescue avalanche experts to the crest of Kearsarge Pass so they can begin to clear the route on the east side and assess avalanche risk for future search operations. On the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks side of the crest work continues to follow-up on possible points of interest and look for any new clues.

Air support is being coordinated with Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Fresno County Sheriff, California Highway Patrol, Air National Guard, and United States Marine Corps. Fresno Sheriff, Mono Sheriff, Inyo Sheriff and Sequoia Kings Canyon National Parks are currently in Unified Command. Other agencies assisting include United States Marine Corps, Madera County Sheriff, Yosemite National Park, and California Office of Emergency Services. In addition, two Marines from Kraft’s unit are assisting authorities with search efforts at the Search and Rescue Coordination Center.

Yesterday seven Inyo Search and Rescue volunteers searched the upper sections of Onion Valley Road west of Independence, attempting to locate any sign of Lieutenant Matthew Kraft. Onion Valley Road is currently closed for the winter and impassible due to heavy snow and rock fall; in order to access the search area a snowcat was utilized to transport the team.

Lieutenant Matthew Kraft/Photo courtesy of US Marine Corp

The team reached about 8,000 feet, approximately two miles from the Kearsarge trail head, where recent avalanche debris was observed covering the road; other smaller avalanches were also observed in several chutes across the road. Due to avalanche concerns, the team decided that it would be too risky to proceed.

Inaddition to yesterday’s ground search, aerial reconnaissance was provided by Fresno County Sheriff, CHP H-80, CHP H-40, and Air National Guard. Aerial search crews noted several significant avalanches throughout the Sierra backcountry and along the Sierra High Route.

Today, searches will be primarily air-based. Ground searching has proven to be too dangerous due to snow instability and avalanche concerns. In addition to the above noted aerial support, Sequoia and Kings National Park will also be providing a helicopter. The boundary of Sequoia and Kings National Park begins at the top of
Kearsarge Pass and extends for approximately 70 miles of the Sierra High Route.

Lt. Kraft’s itinerary was the Sierra High Route, which included hiking out of Kearsarge Pass on Feb 24h and hiking out near the Twin Lakes area by Bridgeport on March 4th or 5th. On March 4th Lt. Kraft’s father contacted Mono Sheriff after not hearing from his son.

Mono County Sheriff’s Office began checking trail heads in the Bridgeport area on March 4th; cell phone forensics initiated by Mono Sheriff showed that his last phone activity was in the Independence area. Inyo County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue began a search on March 5, 2019.

Winter storms in the Sierra have made search activities extremely difficult. Matthew Kraft’s vehicle was located by Inyo Search and Rescue at 9:00pm on March 8th near Lower Grays Meadows (above Independence CA).

Additional agencies assisting in this search along the Sierra High Route include Marine Corps, Mono County Sheriff, Mono County Search and Rescue, Inyo County Search and Rescue, Inyo County Sheriff, Madera County Sheriff, Fresno County Sheriff, Sequoia and Kings National Park, Yosemite National Park, CHP H-80, CHP H-40, Air National Guard, and California Office of Emergency Services.

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2 Responses to Update: Multi-agency search for missing Marine

wow…I wonder if his parents know if he was carrying a SPOT, or something similar. If he had one, but was unable to deploy it, that would be a bad sign. Yet, it would seem crazy to attempt this without one. My heart goes out to his family.